Recap The Peaceful Gap in My New Life

After I finished my final I was looking forward to Christmas Break where all I had to do was go to work. That, however, proved more difficult than it sounded. Upon my triumphant return into chaos I received unwarranted tongue lashings on multiple occasions. Firstly, my crew had not performed some basic duties while I had off-time so my superior found the need to punish whoever was present at that moment. Reactive and not proactive.

I worked Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, and New Years day. On Christmas Eve another co-worker who is under the impression he holds some other office than seniority over me/us felt that this was his opportunity to let me know what he really thought of the superior air I walk around with and felt he was speaking for some unknown group. He really let me have it. What he said didn’t bother me as much as having to deal with it on Christmas Eve. I think the true underlying reason I frustrate him and a select few others is how little their venomous bites actually affect me. I’ve been bitten so many times by fucking lowlives that my immune system has developed it’s own anti-venom. I’ve been through this before. There is a lot of poverty where I am living. And anytime I make choices toward Upward Mobility such as finishing a class, making healthy choices, or financial strides there is always a kickback from workers in poverty at work. My mother took a class on dealing with the Lower-Socio Economic class. Poverty is so ingrained in the culture that climbing out of poverty is taboo. The example she used was that in neighborhoods of poverty, the unspoken rule is that when fortune is on your side you give it to the neighborhood. If you receive a bonus from work you throw a party for your community when what you should actually do is save the bonus, pay bills with it or eventually invest it. The manner of thinking in poorer areas is that you should throw a party or otherwise give it back somehow. This way when the rainy day hits you the community will owe you. Either way, I am aware of the unspoken rule. I give back, I donate to causes I believe in and help folks out who need help moving or whatever it may be yet I make strides towards Upward Mobility. I even gave an extra $20 on top of my $30 Secret Santa gift because I heard my other co-workers were upping the ante on their gifts which would have made my recipient sorry I drew her name. Luckily, she and I get along and she spends her extra time being a good mother and taking her daughter to karate so I really didn’t mind even though I knew the gift I would receive (from someone else) would only be a $30 value. I don’t mind helping those who help themselves.

As a rule, I generally don’t accept help or handouts unless it is from those in my closer circles because in those circles it’s more trouble than it’s worth to keep tallies, and because I know I will be going somewhere better eventually and the likelihood that I will stay in any contact with the majority of my co-workers is not very likely. But, because the wealth gap is so vast within the workers here my actions always provide a certain amount of cognitive dissonance in the manner they conduct themselves, their communities and it comes out in temper-tantrums at work. If I had given only $30 then I would be considered a miser or cheap and giving $50 I would be seen as throwing my money around in poor folks faces. There really is no winning when it comes to this type so take the slaps and keep moving forward. Basically, we were all upset that we had to work Holidays and my air of superiority made me a target for their frustrations. (I have good posture. I can’t help it. I’ve practiced yoga for 14 years, eat healthy and have a piano player’s posture).

(To Be Cont…)

Last updated January 06, 2024